“Your mother?" Timothy whispered, and he whipped his head around and looked at her, as if to confirm for himself.
I nodded, my voice barely a whisper. "I never thought I’d even see her again…" Anger simmered beneath the surface, a mix of betrayal and confusion.
Timothy placed a hand on my shoulder. "Do you want to go back? We can—"
"No," I interrupted, determination cutting through my words. "I've come this far; might as well see what this dinner is really about."
Timothy's expression reflected understanding, though concern lingered in his eyes. Together, we approached Kamran and my mother, a peculiar quartet converging for an evening that had become far more complicated than I could have imagined.
Kamran greeted us with a welcoming smile, oblivious to the storm brewing within me. "Ti
